Metal Panels Illuminate Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU

The exterior of the Institute for Contemporary Art features 28,000 square feet of zinc roof and wall panels. Photos: Rheinzink

The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) will bring the most important, cutting-edge contemporary art exhibits in the world to the VCU campus and the city of Richmond. Located in the striking new Markel Center and designed by architect Steven Holl, the ICA offers 41,000 square feet of flexible space including a 33-foot-high central forum. The ICA features a dynamic slate of changing exhibitions, performances, files and interdisciplinary programs.

“We designed the ICA to be a flexible, forward-looking instrument that will both illuminate and serve as a catalyst for the transformative possibilities of contemporary art,” Steven Holl says. “The fluidity of the design allows for experimentation and will encourage new ways to display and present art that will capitalize on the ingenuity and creativity apparent throughout the VCU campus.”

The exterior for the contemporary design features 28,000 square feet of Rheinzink roof and wall panels. According to Steven Holl Architects, “The prePATINA blue-grey Rheinzink exterior interfaces with clear and translucent glass walls and skylights that infuse the building with natural light and lessen reliance on nonrenewable energy. The zinc shares the same greenish-gray tonality as the matte glass, giving the building a shifting presence from monolithic opaque to multifarious translucent depending on the light.”

The Rheinzink panels were custom fabricated A. Zahner Company. They were installed by Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal. Photos: Rheinzink

The open joint metal panel rain screen system utilized 1.75-mm zinc. According to Zahner project manager John Owens, “The 1.75-mm zinc is a little heavier than normal but that’s what the architect wanted.” Zahner provided 1,200 total panels, of which 200 were curved. “We cut those panels radially as needed to fit the curved aluminum frame. All of that fabrication was done in our shop.”

Gary Davis, Zahner’s director of marketing, added, “We developed multiple panel systems using Rheinzink materials on a supply-only basis. To create museum-quality edges and detailing, Zahner digitally defined the scopes of work and fabricated from our 3-D model. Preceding construction tolerances were dealt with in a timely manner.”

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November/December 2018

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